6:30 is just so EARLY

Imagine how I'll feel getting up at five..

But I muscled through my workout (ha, "workout," it was just a short run).
My calf siezed up two minutes in, but after some quality stretching, it relaxed.
My knee felt a bit tight too, I should have iced it before leaving the house.

I'm trying to reign in my eating, I need to loose at least 7 lbs, and I think I'll see a lot of knee improvements once I do.

This is when training REALY begins

I got my first taste of what it will be like in the program - last minute reading assignments, inconsistencies, poor communication, etc.

But I managed to kick my butt into gear and get to the gym for my easy two miler. Thank god I did! Nothing relieves stress like a run! It was easy, relatively painless, and fun. I should have iced my knee tho...

So the total mileage for this week was 14.5 miles. Last week I reported 14.4, but it was really 13.4.. So I am up 1.1 miles. Yay me.. Baby steps, folks, baby steps.

Also, I need to stop rewarding myself with crappy food..

Next week I am due to run 13 milers, with four as my long run, a 10% decrease from this week (ish). Tomorrow I have off completely from working out - yay!

I am a bit worried about remaining committed to early morning runs...

We will see!! This semester is going to be CRAZy!

5.5!

Yesterday I skipped my run - I meant to do a two miler but I had forgotten that my shoes were at the gym. So once again, I replaced my cross training day with a non workout. Bleh. I did get a long walk in at least! We went to Winchester at the spur of the moment and didn't get back until midnight. So this morning I slept in pretty late and woke up with an empty stomach.. Two slices of pizza later I was ready to call it quits.

An hour and a cup of tea later, I decided that I was in the mod for a run after all. I went to the gym and did all five and a half without a single walk break. After the first mile I developed a nagging cramp, which I always do if I run after eating. However, I convinced myself to run through it, telling myself that I loved the challenge.

I felt slightly weak and dizzy immediatly afterward, but after getting some calories in me, all was well. My left knee was (is) feeing irritated and slightly swollen, so I iced it for about 45 minutes following the run. I also stretches for once!

Tomorrow I plan to stretch a lot and ice my knee some more. I am doing a two miler, which I hope to do in the am outside before church. We'll see! I'm a little nervous about my knee..

Schools almost here again..

Today I have TEAS testing for the nursing program, so I got to the gym at seven to get my three miles in. I did the first 1.71 on the treadmill watching morning Joe, but I got so overheated that I switched to running around the track. Over all it wasn't that bad of a run. My knee is bothering me a bit now, though. I also didn't do any weight lifting.. Uggh. I need to get on that.

Yesterday I almost missed my two miler, but when Joshua got home from work he helped me get outside. I ran around five, down and around food lion again. I developed a cramp .5 miles in, but I lessened my pace Wichita made it bearable.

Tuesday I did NOT run,
But that's ok cuz I really needed a day off to rest. Not good to run six days a week with no rest after a long run!

Tomorrow I am doing another two miler, but this one will be at the gym in the evening. My long run will be on Saturday or Sunday, and will be 5.5 miles. Right now I'm due to run 15.5 miles this week - not too bad I guess.

I've noticed that my back is getting a lot stronger - it no longer hurts to hold it straight when I run! Not that I have great posture any other time tho!

Ok, battery on my phone's dying, time to go.

cold and sunny

This morning's run was a lot colder than it looked; i'm so glad that I opted for under armour. Especailly since it was only a short one and I had no time to heat up.

I ran from our house down and around Food Lion's parking lot and back up. I was really low on energy again this morning. I'm not sure if it was because yesterday was a long run, or of it's just from the lack of sleep I got last week. Hopefully I get over it, the past two runs I havent' really felt into it. I haven't felt any knee pain though, and I'd rather be bored than in pain any day!

It was really, really sunny out though, which was kind of fun. I tried to smile as I ran, to practice for the race, haha. I want to be a happy runner that inspires others... or at least LOOK like a happy runner.

Tomorrow I am due for a three miler, which I will go to the gym to do so that I can attempt some weight lifting. Also to give my body a break from the hills, cold, and wind that I've been dealing with for the past week. I'll run around the track though, because I'm fairly certain that the treadmill was the cause of my knee issues - maybe running slowly on it changed my gait or something.

I calculated my mileage for the month of December: 26.9 miles! Joshua joked that I could run a marathon now - if they gave me 31 days to do it in..

Yesterday marked the 21st day of training - I guess it's officailly a habit now (supposedly that's how long it takes to form) and it does feel a bit like one. Like I said yesterday, I don't really give myself the option NOT to run when its scheduled.

I may run fewer miles than are scheduled this week, because I don't want to bump it up too far too quickly. Last week I ran 14.4 miles, and if I do all that I've written down to do, this week I'd clock in at 17.5. I may drop one of my 3 milers down to 2, and a two miler down to 1.5, just to mentally give myself the break. I don't want to be all burnt out three months prior to my race! Especailly not burnt out the week that school starts.

A Sunday run

I managed to get out of bed this morning, somehow. I guess because I don't really consider running to be just an option. I'm so glad I did. It was my long run, five miles this time. I ran down across the bridge and back, plus a loop on my street to make it an even five. It was pretty warm for January, a little over 45 degrees. The first two miles were really nice, I listened to Celtic Psalms and felt very relaxed. The second half wasn't as nice but it wasn't bad either. I just felt really sleepy and groggy. Probably has something to do with my large sleep debt...

So I managed five outdoor miles in an hour, with a liberal use of walk breaks, especially up the hills. That is my target time for the race, so that boosted my confidence.

The total mileage for this week was 14.4

Tomorrow I have a two miler scheduled, plus I'm planning on lifting a lot to kind of catch up...

Sooo nervous about how my running will fare once school starts up. It might be just fine tho.. I'm planning on being at the gym by 6 every day.. Oh man.

The holidays are over - finally!

The past week was not such a great one training-wise, but I did have a couple really great runs.

Joshua got me gloves and an ear warmer thing, so I attempted a run on Xmas eve - only managed a mile because I had just eaten.

The next two days we were in PA celebrating with joshua's family, so I didn't Run at all. We did go for two short walks at least.

The next day I was way too exhausted to run, and I basically just sat around.

The 28th I ran only 1.2, and on the 29th I got up really early and did 2.2 before we left for Houghton. I had gotten new shoes the day before, Nike Pegasus. I LOVE them. I do not love the treadmill however and it is bothering my knees.

We were in houghton for the 30th, and I managed a two miler around campus. It was probably the best run I've had... Ever. It was twenty degrees out, very sunny, and there was just a nice covering of old snow. It was wonderful, and a much-needed reminder of why I run.

Yesterday morning I got up and ran again, just a bit under three miles. We were buffalo, so I ran onto elmwood ave. That was a pretty awesome run as well, the time just flew by.